Apple Pie is a classic and a must learn dessert, especially if you live in the States. I mean they don’t say as American as cream pie or strudel. It is as American as Apple Pie, and that is because apple pies can be served all year-long and at any kind of event. It doesn’t matter if it’s a winter dinner party or a summer barbecue, you will be a dessert hero if you learn to make this amazing Classic Apple pie with loads of beautiful Granny Smith Apples and a flaky, golden brown crust.

Apple Pie with a Missing piece

Start with Nice Fruit

This recipe takes 7-9 Granny Smith Apples. Fruit size can vary quite a bit, but ultimately you want about 9 cups of filling for a 10” pie plate. Choose your apples with care. Make sure not to get apples that are really bruised. Bruised fruit tends to turn to mush when you cook it, and you want the apples in your pie to be completely tender but not applesauce.

Take the time necessary to peel and core the apples. Seeds and skin don’t taste great in a pie.

Apples peeled, cored, and slices. Ready to mix with cinnamon and sugar.

Making the Perfect Crust!!!

Making a good short pastry crust is actually pretty easy, but it does take practice to get the feel for what it is supposed to look like at every stage.

The first thing to do is measure 1 ⅓ Cups shortening and put into a large bowl. Add three cups of flour and a tsp of salt. Use a pastry cutter or two butter knives held between your fingers to mix this together. Rock the pastry cutter back and forth around the bowl, or drag the butter knives through the mixture over and over until the shortening and flour are well combined and you have pieces no bigger than a pea.

Next, separate four egg yolks and beat together with 6 tablespoons of cool water. Add the eggs and water to the flour and shortening. From this point, I use my hands. Fold everything together, integrating the eggs and water into the flour and shortening. Mix it gently until there is no loose flour left. Stop before the dough is truly smooth to prevent overworking.

Flour and shortening cut into pea sized pieces.

Finish working the dough by hand, then divide into three pieces. Work the first piece into a ball and then flatten.

Rolling The Pastry!

Separate the pastry into three equal parts. This recipe actually leaves you with one spare crust. I usually just fill the spare crust with jam and make little roll ups. My kids love that.

Take one of the three dough balls and work it a bit more with your hands. Shape it into a ball and then lay it between two pieces of parchment.

Use your hand to flatten the dough a bit. Use a rolling-pin to roll crust out. I do this by starting in the center each time and the rolling to the edge turning my hands a quarter turn each time to form a circle. Well, something approximating a circle.

Roll the crust between two pieces of parchment to prevent sticking.

Placing the Crust in the Pie Plate!

Using parchment paper is the easiest way to roll a crust and be able to move it to the pie plate, but you still need to do a few things to prevent sticking and tearing along the way.

Slowly, peel back your top layer of parchment. Then place that piece of parchment back on the crust. Flip the crust and both layers of parchment over so that the top paper is on the bottom, and the bottom paper is on the top. Slowly peel the top layer of parchment off again. It sometimes helps to gently rub your hand around the crust before doing this just so it slightly sticks to the bottom parchment. I really mean gently rub, and only slightly sticks. If you put too much force into it, you are right back where you started from.

Once you’ve removed the top parchment paper, place your hand underneath the paper and crust and slowly turn over laying it as evenly as possible across the pie. Gently peel the parchment away and guide the crust into the plate. Use a little ball of dough instead of your fingers, to press the crust around the plate making sure it is stretched and pressed down to the edge all the way around.

Put the filling in the plate and place slices of butter on the top. Repeat the rolling process with a second ball of dough and new parchment.

Leave the excess dough until the end. You want to make sure you have enough to make a nice design around the edges.

Place the top crust on gently. Trim away any dough that is hanging over the edge of the pie plate. At the edges, gently turn the top crust over the bottom, making a ring around the entire pie plate. This will seal your crusts together and prevent leaking. Use your fingers to create a nice design around the edge.

Use your fingers to crimp the crust around the edges. This seals the crust to prevent leaks and makes a nice design.

Getting the Bake Just Right!

You want to make sure that your crust is fully cooked both top and bottom and achieve a nice golden brown color and no soggy bottom. Preheat your oven to 425°. Cook pie in the middle of the oven of 425° for 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 350° without opening your oven. Cook the pie for one more hour.

Golden Brown crust filled with deliciously tart granny smith apples.

“Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, country music does.” Johnny Cash